The Changeling
by clotpole-in-a-tardis
Summary: Arthur didn't want to marry Elena because he didn't love her, and he was in love with another. But he was not in love with Guinevere...


Title: The Changeling

Summary: Arthur didn't want to marry Elena because he didn't love her, and he was in love with another. But he was not in love with Guinevere...

Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur

Add. Info: AU 3x06, established relationship

Rating: PG

Arthur stood there, preparing to open the doors to the throne room and walk to his doom.

Marriage. How could his father force him into marriage?! Especially when he wasn't in love with the person he was to marry, and he was in love with _someone else_. Of course, his father didn't know that he was in love. His father could never ever know that he was in love. If he did...

"Elena is very beautiful," Merlin said, pulling Arthur from his thoughts. "She'll make a great queen one day. A great mother. A great... _wife_."

"Yes, well, that may be," Arthur turned to Merlin. "But I do not love her."

"Well, sometimes we can't have the ones we love," Merlin said, voice tense and anxious. "Sometimes the one we love is a servant when we are royalty. And sometimes the one we love is a future king and we are just a servant. And sometimes the one we love has a father that — "

"That's enough, Merlin," Arthur said. "Please. I do not wish to hear anymore." He enveloped his lover in his arms and held him close. "I love more than I could ever put into words, Merlin. Truly, I do. And I want you to know now, and remember forever, that the last thing I want to do is marry anyone but you. Okay?"

"I know, Arthur," Merlin wrapped his arms around the prince's torso. "I know. But you have to do what you have to do. You are the further king, after all, and that comes with great responsibility and — "

"Merlin, _please_ , I've heard it from my father a thousand times before," Arthur said. "I do _not_ need it from you, too."

"I know," Merlin frowned and sighed. "I'm just trying to convince myself." He fell silent for a few moments, as did Arthur, and then he spoke again. "What's going to happen to us? I mean, I'll still be your servant, but what's going to happen to... _us_?"

Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes and carded his finger through the soft, dark hair. He was frowning deeply, but his eyes sparkled with such fondness, as they always did when they were on Merlin. "Well, I would like more than anything else to say that nothing will be different. That we have loved one another in secret since before we even admitted our feelings to one another. That all of our romantic endeavors have been hidden from most of the world, so there is no reason to end them now. But that just wouldn't be true. I may not love Elena, but I am to marry her and I shall not be unfaithful. I hope you can understand."

"Of course." Merlin nodded, gently stroking Arthur's cheek with his thumb while the prince continued to run his fingers through Merlin's hair. "I would do the same were our places switched. But you cannot ask me to stop loving you."

"No, never," Arthur shook his head. "Just as I cannot ask myself to stop loving you. I will _always_ love you... Always..."

"And I you," Merlin nodded slowly.

They stayed there for several minutes. They didn't really know that, though. It could have been seconds, really. Or maybe hours, or days, years, decades, centuries... As far as they were concerned, it could have been eternities. And what heaven that would be. Eternities of Arthur running his fingers through Merlin's hair. Eternities of Merlin's thumb lazily running back and forth over Arthur's skin. Eternities of one another...

But no. It was mere minutes. And then a knock came at the door and a knight spoke. "Prince Arthur. It is time." Came a voice through the door.

"I'll be just another moment," Arthur said, then spoke softly to Merlin. "I suppose that I should not kiss you moments before I am to be married, though it pains me to think that I shall never do so again."

"You can't," Merlin agreed shakily. "It would be wrong."

It was clear that they were both trying desperately to convince themselves. And it was just as clear that they were failing to do so.

Arthur nodded and pulled his fingers out of Merlin's hair, pulled his arms away from the warmth that Merlin provided. And he turned on his heel. He took three steps from Merlin, and three steps was all he could take before turned back around. "Oh, damn it all." And he strode back to his love and placed his hands on either side of his face, pressing his lips firmly against the sorcerer's.

And they kissed. To put it quite simply, they kissed as if they would never kiss again. Needless to say, that was because they believed they would never again get the chance.

"Prince Arthur?" The knight knocked on the door again.

Arthur pressed his forehead against Merlin's. "Never forgot what we've been through together. Not one line, not one _second_ , Merlin. And I promise to do the same."

"I promise," Merlin choked.

"Don't cry." Arthur begged, holding back tears of his own. "Please, _do not_ cry. I am not worth your tears."

"Prince Arthur, I apologize," the knight spoke again. "But I must insist that you come now. Your father is growing impatient and irritable and, quite frankly, rather angry. You really do need to come now."

Merlin sniffed. "Arthur, you are the only man who is worth my tears."

Arthur took a step away from him, quickly and suddenly, and then he nodded. "Farewell, my love," he whispered, barely audible, but Merlin heard it.

The warlock did not let his tears fall. Not until Arthur was through the door, into the throne room, and off to live out his destiny.

Then his tears fell.

He left the room when he head Geoffrey speaking. He couldn't stand there and listen to Arthur giving his heart away to another. One who he didn't love. One who he was being forced to marry.

Merlin ran to Gaius's chambers. He ran straight up the stairs to his room where he collapsed onto the bed in a fit of sobs. He buried his face in his pillow, his body shaking violently as his anger and sadness overcame him.

It was a long while later that someone knocked on his door, but entered before Merlin could have even had a chance to answer if he _wasn't_ in a heap in the bed in a pool of his own tears. The newcomer sat down beside him and placed a gentle hand on his back.

They stayed until he had ceased to sob, and he looked up. "Gwen," he croaked.

She gave him a knowing smile, being one of the only three people who knew about Arthur and Merlin's relationship — outside of Arthur and Merlin, that is. "There's someone here who wishes to speak with you,"

"Who?" Merlin frowned. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I just - I want to be left alone right now. It's all too much…. Who is it?" He asked again even though he wanted nothing more, in that moment, to curl up in a ball and fade away from everyone. From the world itself.

Gwen smiled. "The man who, with the help of a princess who didn't love him either, defied his father and his king a short while ago."

Merlin's eyes went wide, and he let his heart dare to hope. He leapt to his feet and raced from the room, down the stairs, and there he was. There he was, all pale skin and blue eyes and perfect and _Arthur_. And Merlin ran to him, as fast as his legs could carry him, and threw himself into his lover's arms.

"I couldn't do it," Arthur whispered. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't just - I couldn't leave you." He cupped Merlin's face in his hands. "I am _so sorry_. I should have stood up to my father sooner, I should have never let it get as far as - "

"Arthur?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Merlin covered Arthur's mouth with his own and their lips started moving together.

Then, there came a cough from behind Merlin and the prince and his servant turned to see Gwen standing there awkwardly. "I just thought you would like to know that I _am_ still here. Right here."

"Of course," Arthur said, smiling awkwardly. "Well, we had better go. We should not miss seeing Princess Elena off. I see no reason to enrage my father further than I already have."

"Let us go then," Gwen shot them a knowing look as she strode past them. "Unless, of course, you two need to get some sort of chore or something done first." She raised her eyebrows and smiled, then left the room.

"Ah, yes," Arthur grinned. "About those _chores_ that you have today." And without another word, Arthur latched his mouth onto Merlin's.


End file.
